Monday, May 11, 1998

In August 1996, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Gary Webb stunned the world with a series of articles in the San Jose Mercury News reporting the results of his year-long investigation into the roots of the crack cocaine epidemic in America, specifically in Los Angeles. The series, titled "Dark Alliance," revealed that for the better part of a decade, a Bay Area drug ring sold tons of cocaine to Los Angeles street gangs and funneled millions in drug profits to the CIA-backed Nicaraguan contras. Now, Gary Webb pushes his investigation even further in his book, "Dark Alliance; The CIA, the Contras, and the Crack Cocaine Explosion," published by Seven Stories Press. Drawing from recently declassified CIA documents, undercover DEA audio and video tapes that have never been publicly released, federal court testimony and interviews, Webb demonstrates how our government knowingly allowed massive amounts of drugs and money to exchange hands at the expense of our communities. Congressional inquiries into these allegations are ongoing. Results of the internal investigations by both the CIA and the Justice Department are pending.

Several prominent critics of the dictator Suharto demanded an end to his 32 year rule today. A group of retired generals and cabinet ministers issued a statement urging the pro-Suharto assembly to revoke the appointment of Suharto as President. This comes as nationwide campus protests have begun to spill over into the streets of Indonesia over the past few weeks.

Amy Goodman with Denis Moynihan — What price would you pay not to kill another human being? At what point would you commit the offenses allegedly perpetrated by Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, who was charged Wednesday with desertion and “misbehavior before an enemy?”